Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
By ERICA BULMAN AP Sports Writer
SCHLADMING, Austria (AP) -- American skier Ted Ligety competed in a World Cup slalom on Tuesday night despite a minor car accident the day before.
Ligety and teammate Roger Brown were headed to their hotel during daylight hours Monday when the four-wheel-drive car suddenly rolled off the road. Neither athlete was hurt, Ligety said.
"It was a snow-packed road and it was really slippery," said Ligety, the passenger. "We just went around the corner and just slid out. We just went over the ledge and rolled onto a field."
Ligety was uncharacteristically slow in the opening run of the men's slalom under the floodlights of the Planai course, finishing 28th. He has 3.26 seconds to make up in the second leg.
Ligety, the Olympic combined champion, didn't blame the disappointing result on the accident.
"I made a mistake up top, but it's kind of flabbergasting how I'm three seconds out," Ligety said. "It's something I'll have to look at and work out. ... These things happen I guess. You can't win every race."
Brown did not finish the first leg.
"Looking back on it, it almost seemed like fun, but it was sketchy," Ligety said. "It's the first time I've ever been in an accident like that, so looking back it's kind of scary. But when it was happening, I didn't feel scared."
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APTV-01-30-07 1253MST
